Work, knowledge and argument in specialist consultations: incorporating tacit knowledge into system design and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Clinical Communication

Background:

• Clinical consultations between pathologists and surgeons are crucial for patient care.
• The integration of video telephone technology aims to enhance these remote consultations.
• Understanding the nature of 'work' within these consultations is essential for technology adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the concept of 'work' in clinical consultations between pathologists and surgeons.
• To identify shared and differing understandings of consultation goals and success criteria.
• To inform the development and acceptance of computer-supported cooperative healthcare work (CSCHW) applications.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods approach combining participant observation.
• Utilized video recordings of consultations.
• Conducted interviews with pathologists and surgeons.

Main Results:

• Pathologists and surgeons exhibit both shared and divergent perspectives on consultation definitions, objectives, and success metrics.
• The interpretation and utilization of consultation materials ('offstage' work products) vary based on the framing of the consultation.
• Identified significant differences and disjunctions in how professionals perceive and engage in consultations.

Conclusions:

• Discrepancies in understanding clinical consultations pose a barrier to adopting new healthcare technologies.
• Addressing these differences is critical for the successful implementation and acceptance of CSCHW tools.
• Further research into professional perceptions is needed to optimize collaborative healthcare technologies.